Image Gallery:
Shirase expedition supporters, Sydney, 1911

These photographs were taken by Seizo Miisho, Medical Officer and photographer for the Shirase expedition, from May to November 1911, when the expedition members had to camp in Parsley Bay, Vaucluse while their ship was being repaired.

They are personal photos of Parsley Bay families and other supporters in Sydney, people who welcomed the visitors and assisted them in practical ways, and are in that sense tokens of gratitude and symbols of friendship.

In 2011 the Shirase Antarctic Expedition Memorial Museum in Japan sent the images to the Australian Museum to see if the people could be identified, so they were uploaded to our website for public comment.

In 2013 a descendant of Professor Edgeworth David provided funding for further research into the photographs. By combining family and local history research with contemporary newspaper accounts we have been able to discover the identity of some of these people and information about their contact with the Japanese expedition members.

If you recognise any of these families please help us put some more pieces of the story together.